pathoflifedevotions August, Devotions

August 15, 2017 “Boldness”

Boldness

Boldness is expressed in bold thoughts and bolder deeds.
Bold deeds are celebrated in song and story, in reputation and renown, and in great shouts of victory as well as in quiet deeds of mercy. Boldness, then, is to be sought, a necessary thing for victorious living in this fallen world.

Boldness is a product born of its root.

  • Boldness born in myth will dissipate like a mist on the moors because it is a fiction born of a fiction.
  • Boldness born in the heart of man will strengthen his arm for battle where luck and random violence may bring either defeat or victory it really doesn’t matter.
  • Boldness of the mind of man, may actually make the soldier shrink from the fray if there is no hope of triumph saying, “Live, my son, the battle is not yours. Live to fight another day.”
  • Boldness conceived in the spirit, the God-consciousness of mankind, will insist on spiritual weapons even when the weapons of human violence are in plentiful supply. The weapons of this fight are mighty through God.

Choosing to be bold.
When the noise of battle can be heard over the horizon of the morning and the dust of an invading army clouds the early air, the soldier of faith must choose his/her brand of bravery:

  • Mythological,Human will and courage,
  • Human intelligence and cunning, or
  • The weapons of spiritual warfare.

If we choose to fight a spiritual battle with human weapons, all our efforts will be for nothing. If, however, if we choose to fight a spiritual battle with the weapons proven by the Lord Himself and those who followed Him, whose record we read in the Bible, we will see victory.

As each week begins:

  • We choose to praise God every day—praise makes us bold!
  • We give careful thought to the battles we choose to fight—the Spirit sharpens the mind for battle!
  • We recall the victory of Christ—all evil has been already defeated—such hope makes us bold!
  • We stand fully armed for battle with spiritual armor and the two-edged Sword of the Spirit—such weapons make us invincible!

Be bold this day, for the Lord stands tall in you!

Boldness is expressed in bold thoughts and bolder deeds.

Scriptures:
Proverbs 21:29
A wicked man puts up a bold front, but an upright man gives thought to his ways.
Proverbs 28:1
The wicked man flees though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.
Psalm 138:1-3
I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; before the “gods” I will sing your praise. I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word. When I called, you answered me; you made me bold and stouthearted.
2 Corinthians 3:12-13
Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold.
2 Corinthians 6:4-10;
Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything. For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ…
Ephesians 6:10-18
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Prayer,
Lord Jesus, You are my strength, my victory. Because of You I can be bold today, facing the enemies who come against me and staring down the fears within me. Doing anything for You, Lord, requires courage and You are faithful to supply the boldness this day will demand. I have Your plan, the spiritual weaponry You have provided, Your empowering Spirit abiding within, and I am stationed with a mighty army. Some of my fellow soldiers are seen here on this earth and others move in unseen realms but all move toward victory. I can be bold. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Song:
Keep on the Firing Line
Words: Bessie F. Hatcher; Music: Alphus LeFevre

1. If you’re in the battle for the Lord and right,
If you win, my brother, surely you must fight,
Keep on the firing line;
There are many dangers that we all must face,
If we die still fighting it is no disgrace;
Cowards in the service will not find a place,
So keep on the firing line

Refrain:
Oh, you must fight, be brave against all evil,
Never run, nor even lag behind;
If you would win for God and the right,
Just keep on the firing line.

2. God will only use the soldier He can trust,
Keep on the firing line;
If you’ll wear a crown then bear the cross you must,
Keep on the firing line.
Life is but to labor for the Master dear,

Refrain

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions August, Devotions

August 12 “Future”

Future

The Soon-to-Be
We deal with, or fail do deal with, the prospect of the future all the time.

  • In business it is called everything from a “to do” list to an annual projection.
  • In school it is the almighty calendar.
  • In church leadership it is a strange three-way dance featuring today’s demands, this week’s services, and the season of the year that has all the dancers out of breath.
  • In the home each child and adult has a personal agenda that combines with the others to create domestic chaos barreling like a runaway train toward the future.

It isn’t that we don’t know what to do about the future—we do!

We do basically four things:

  1. We ignore it.
  2. We fear it; this is another form of denial.
  3. We worry about it.
  4. We prepare for it.

We may not know the details of what will happen in the future but we have some promises from God that are as sure as the future is uncertain.

What will the future hold?
One must be careful predicting the future—one’s veracity as prophet is immediately put to the public test. I will venture three predictions—three things the future holds for sure.

  1. God has a future for each of us. The Path of Life deals with the past, enriches the present, and secures the future. This is the “Abundant Life” Jesus promised each of us.
  2. In the Last Days before the Return of Christ, there will be a great “Falling away.” The world which has never welcomed Jesus will so influence His Church that many will walk away from the faith “once delivered to the saints” in a fatal reenactment of the Babylonian Captivity. The Spirit of the Lord will be supplanted by the spirit of the age. The Bible calls this the spirit of antichrist, the spirit of iniquity. The love of many who once followed the Lord Jesus will grow cold.
  3.  Also “in the Last Days,” the Lord has promised to pour out of His Spirit “on all flesh.” This outpouring is greater than any human tradition or theological system. Nothing like this has ever happened before. It started on the Day of Pentecost and was renewed in the 20th Century. It spilled over the denominations formed by it. It brought the charismatic renewal and the rain of the Spirit has continued to fall beyond the 20th Century into this one as the whole church opens to the reality of the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

The Poet prophesies,

“Let this be written for a Future Generation…”

He describes an unprecedented move of the Holy Spirit—an outpouring of Grace like the world has never seen:

  • God will look down from heaven and hear the voice of a hurting humanity.
  • God will open prison doors, releasing people from the death sentence of all kinds
  • The name and fame of the Lord Jesus will be declare from every coast to every coast.

What triggers this Out Pouring of the Spirit? The answer is surprising:

“… when the peoples and the kingdoms assemble to worship the Lord.”

True Worship is our privilege today and our hope for tomorrow.
We gather—not to deliberate or debate to confer or to complain—but to worship and serve the Lord!

Each day we face a choice: Will we fall away from faith in Jesus? Or will we experience the Outpouring?

  • As we walk the Path of Life each day we choose to follow the Lord Jesus, positioning us to receive our part of the Outpouring.
  • To ignore the future or to fear it or to waste energy worrying about it is to shrink back from the Outpouring and to join the Apostasy.

The daily disciplines required by the Path of Life equip us for today and prepare us for tomorrow’s demands.

The harvest of the future is found in the seeds of obedience we plant today.

Scriptures:
Psalm 102:18-22 NIV
Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the Lord: “The Lord looked down from his sanctuary on high, from heaven he viewed the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death.” So the name of the Lord will be declared in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem when the peoples and the kingdoms assemble to worship the Lord.
Psalm 16:11 NKJV
You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Acts 2:16-18 NIV
…this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.
2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 NKJV
Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
1 John 4:3 NIV
…every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
Matthew 24:10-13 AMP
And then many will be offended and repelled and will ebegin to distrust and desert [Him Whom they ought to trust and obey] and will stumble and fall away and betray one another and pursue one another with hatred. And many false prophets will rise up and deceive and lead many into error. And the love of the great body of people will grow cold because of the multiplied lawlessness and iniquity, But he who endures to the end will be saved.
1 John 3:1-3 NIV
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, all my tomorrows are in Your capable hands. I don’t need to know what tomorrow will bring because You are already there. Today I will do what is given for me to do and tonight I will rest in hope. Show me the horrid details of a church that is falling away from the True Faith; keep me from this apostasy. Show me the wonderful details of the Great Outpouring of the Holy Spirit so that I can be a part of that tomorrow. Somehow, Lord, you live outside of time, equally present in past, present, and future. This is beyond my understanding. I will remember that You laid aside Your omnipresence and entered into time. You understand how we must live—step by step, day by day—and You help us find each tomorrow. Amen.

Song:
I Know Who Holds My Hand
Words and Music: Ira Stanphil

1. I don’t know about tomorrow
I just live from day to day
I don’t borrow from its sunshine
For its skies may turn to gray
I don’t worry o’er the future
For I know what Jesus said
And today I’ll walk beside Him
For He knows what is ahead

Refrain:
Many things about tomorrow
I don’t seem to understand
But I know who holds tomorrow
And I know who holds my hand

2. I don’t know about tomorrow
It may bring me poverty
But the one who feeds the sparrow
Is the one who stands by me
And the path that be my portion
May be through the flame or flood
But His presence goes before me
And I’m covered with His blood

Refrain

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions August, Devotions

August 11, 2017 “Sojourner”

Sojourner

He travels light, the sojourner, the Servant of God.
He has what he needs in a worn suitcase with only a hat and coat to keep out the weather. He would love to put down roots somewhere and stay for a while, but that is not his calling. He comes from a land faraway in miles but held close in his heart. He is on his way home, not by the fastest route, but by a long, curving road that takes him into the lives of many. People call him blessed. The life of the sojourner is like a broad river flowing in its own good time to the sea, watering fields and forests in every slow turn.

He is alone but he is not lonely. His solitude is a season of prayer. In crowds he is often overlooked, seen only by those who are close to him or by those who are searching for him. He is eloquent enough to speak on the courthouse square but he is no showman. He looks a person in the eyes when he talks, and he listens when others talk.

When he stays for a while it is with some important task in mind, some appointed work that he can do. In a few days the people with whom he works can’t seem to remember when he wasn’t around. If they were to stop and think, they would wonder how they ever got along without him. He does his work and it is well done. His skill and craftsmanship mark everything he does. His wages are fair and his family well cared for. He makes friends, mostly those who work with him, but he is known to be a friendly to all. No scandal comes near him. He has enemies, threatened by his character which they cannot control, but they are kept at bay by orders from his homeland and their schemes generally fail.

Then one day, the Sojourner and his family leave. The pack up the stuff they have and take to the road. Another town awaits, another work to do, another appointment to keep.

His absence will be deeply felt—at first. Then someone else will come with his own touch and tone and the void will be filled—almost. For some, the Sojourner remains in their hearts—not in competition with the new man—but in a shared passion and work, a deep bound of fellowship and a common destiny.

Down the road, around the next bend, over another hill, the Sojourner stops again for a while. He makes new friends. He does his work. He is a blessing to others. He is one stop closer to home.

The Poet says that Israel sojourned in Egypt. They dwelt there temporarily and then the moved on to the Wilderness and finally to the Land of Promise. They were sojourners, temporary residents with work to do. As was Israel in Egypt, so is the Believer in this world. As the old song says:

“This world is not my home. I’m just a-passing through.”

We are sojourners.
We must hold this world with a loose grip for we are not of it. Our story is not contained in the dimensions of the planet Earth. We come from a land far away, a different and better Kingdom. Our King gives us work to do and places to do it. He directs us from there and will welcome us there when our sojourn is done.

He travels light, the sojourner, the servant of God.

Scriptures:
Psalm 105: 23
Israel came into Egypt, and Jacob became a sojourner in the land of Ham. The Lord made his people exceedingly fruitful; he made them stronger than their enemies; Whose heart he turned, so that they hated his people, and dealt unjustly with his servants. He sent Moses his servant, and Aaron whom he had chosen. They worked his signs among them, and portents in the land of Ham. … He led out his people with silver and gold; in all their tribes there was not one that stumbled. Egypt was glad of their going, because they were afraid of them. He spread out a cloud for a covering and a fire to give light in the night season. They asked, and quails appeared, and he satisfied them with bread from heaven. He opened the rock, and water flowed, so the river ran in the dry places. For God remembered his holy word and Abraham his servant. So he led forth his people with gladness, his chosen with shouts of joy. He gave his people the lands of the nations, and they took the fruit of others’ toil, That they might keep his statutes and observe his laws. Hallelujah!
Luke 10:2-10 NIV
He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road. “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you. Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house. “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near you.’
Romans 10:14-15
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
Acts 13:1-4
In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: … While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit,,,
1 John 2:15 KJV
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
Luke 12:15 NIV
Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You were a sojourner here on this earth. Now You call us to walk in Your footsteps. I do not seek fame or riches or even recognition. I seek only to do Your will and touch people with Your touch. I want to represent Your faraway Kingdom well, bringing it closer. I want go where You send me and stay where You keep me. We share this adventure of glorious anonymity, a work seen only by those nearby and the Father above. All for You, Lord Jesus, all for You. Amen.

Song:
So Send I You
Words and Music: Margaret Clarkson

1. So send I you-by grace made strong to triumph
O’er hosts of hell, o’er darkness, death, and sin,
My name to bear, and in that name to conquer-
So send I you, my victory to win.

2. So send I you-to take to souls in bondage
The word of truth that sets the captive free,
To break the bonds of sin, to loose death’s fetters-
So send I you, to bring the lost to me.

3. So send I you-my strength to know in weakness,
My joy in grief, my perfect peace in pain,
To prove My power, My grace, My promised presence-
So send I you, eternal fruit to gain.

4. So send I you-to bear My cross with patience,
And then one day with joy to lay it down,
To hear My voice, “well done, My faithful servant-
Come, share My throne, My kingdom, and My crown!”
“As the Father hath sent Me, so send I you.

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions August, Devotions

August 5, “Rewards”

Rewards

Confession time:

  • I like winning better than losing.
  • I am more fond of good outcomes than bad ones.
  • When dreaming big dreams leads to accomplishing great things, I really like it.
  • I love it when there is progress to report in a progress report.

To work well but without reward is the definition of misery.

The Craftsman’s Rewards
I have a life-long friend from my college and teaching days named Dennis who is a wonderful singer, actor, teacher, choral director and Christian gentleman. In his retirement he works with wood producing, among other things, beautiful wooden cases for clocks. I visited his shop one summer and found it to be full of rewards. I don’t mean trophies and plaques on the wall. I mean precision equipment of all kinds and stacks of expensive, beautiful wood from the best of trees. A case for a clock was in the works with smooth wood and careful craftsmanship. Another couple of clocks, as yet undelivered, could be seen here and there. I knew that his sharp mind contained plans for the next creation.

Where were the rewards? I saw them!

  • A proven record of past achievements,
  • the presence of a current project, and
  • the promise of future work were his rewards.

Work and reward; work and reward.
It is the rhythm of life. God, the some Creator who said “It was good” at each stage of a grand project eons ago, made us this way.

Science calls this the Law of Cause and Effect. The Bible term is the Law of Sowing and Reaping. It is not at all complicated—we reap what we sow. If we do “this thing,” this “other thing” will be the result. This is one of the first things we learn in life—“Don’t touch the stove top!” “Get away from that electrical outlet.”

If we do not learn this law:

  • We will gain weight when we eat too much an exercise too little.
  • We are likely to stress over debt when we misuse our credit cards?
  • We will find it difficult to be pure in heart if we constantly feed on impurity.
  • Our children may walk away from God, if we do not walk with Him before their eyes.

On the other hand—while we are thankful—we should not be surprised when the rewards for sowing good things come our way:

  • Except for the prospects of disease or injury, healthy living leads to long life.
  • We can be generous on all occasions because it is more blessed to give than receive.
  • We can live unspotted in this wicked age, because we feed on the good things of God.
  • We can successfully hand deliver the True Faith to the next generation.

Best of all is the reward when we stand before Jesus and give an account.
We can hear Him say,

Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things,
I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

There is no greater reward than this!

Scriptures:
Psalm 91
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, abides under the shadow of the Almighty. He shall say to the Lord, “You are my refuge and my stronghold, my God in whom I put my trust.” He shall deliver you from the snare of the hunter and from the deadly pestilence. He shall cover you with his pinions, and you shall find refuge under his wings; his faithfulness shall be a shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of any terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day; Of the plague that stalks in the darkness, nor of the sickness that lays waste at mid-day. A thousand shall fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come near you. Your eyes have only to behold to see the reward of the wicked. Because you have made the Lord your refuge, and the Most High your habitation, There shall no evil happen to you, neither shall any plague come near your dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. They shall bear you in their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone.You shall tread upon the lion and adder; you shall trample the young lion and the serpent under your feet. Because he is bound to me in love, therefore will I deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my Name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him; I am with him in trouble; I will rescue him and bring him to honor. With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation.
Revelation 22:12-13 NIV
“Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
Galatians 6:7-10 NKJV
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.
2 Corinthians 9:6-7 NIV
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
Matthew 25:21-22
Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You are fair in all Your ways. Your promises, so ancient in their words, still ring true today. We will reap if we faint not! When we sow in tears, this will bring a harvest of joy! From creation’s season to this one, You have blessed the cycles of this earth: seed time and harvest, the seasons of the year, and rhythm of the work week and the Blessed Sabbath, a day to rest from sowing and tending and even harvesting. You are with me in the fields reminding me of Your promises. You are coming soon and Your reward is with You. Thank You, Lord of the Harvest! Amen.

Song:
Bringing in the Sheaves
Words: Knowles Shaw; Music: George A. Minor

1.Sowing in the morning, sowing seeds of kindness,
Sowing in the noontide and the dewy eve;
Waiting for the harvest, and the time of reaping,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

Refrain:
Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves,
Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves,

2. Sowing in the sunshine, sowing in the shadows,
Fearing neither clouds nor winter’s chilling breeze;
By and by the harvest, and the labor ended,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

Refrain

3.Going forth with weeping, sowing for the Master,
Though the loss sustained our spirit often grieves;
When our weeping’s over, He will bid us welcome,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

Refrain

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions August, Devotions

August 4, 2017 “Fields”

Fields

“Field” is an extremely useful noun.
Literally, there are corn fields, hay fields, bean fields, and cotton fields back home. There are football fields, baseball fields with infields and outfields, and there are soccer fields. Tragically, the list of literal fields must include battlefields.

Figuratively, there are fields of study, fields of medicine, law, and science, fields of influence, mission fields and fields of personal interest. Ironically, all of these figurative fields can also be playing fields, fields of produce, and battlefields.

The Poet reports that in his day the enemies God had plans to steal, “The Fields of God.” This is still true and it is no limited strategy for the fields of God are wide and varied. God created human beings to be productive people with many fields to till and harvest.

Just What Is the Father’s Business?
Perhaps we have been too narrow in our understanding of God’s business, that business that sent the 12 year-old Jesus to the Temple to interview the priests. Some might say this, with the intention of shutting down the conversation, “The business of God is souls.” This is absolutely true beyond any “fear of successful contradiction” as a pastor I knew liked to say. Do we really think “souls” is the sum total of God’s business? Does the Lord have just this one field?

The Lord had many fields.
Many years ago I did some teaching on ministry through the arts. I talked about bearing fruit in terms of creating beautiful works of art. Unknown to me, the pastor’s secretary was a painter. She had never connected her art to the concept of bearing fruit for God. “That was always just winning souls!” She told me. Her field of interest was painting and it was God’s field, too.

Dramatically, Jesus calls us to the harvest fields in these last days. Exactly which fields are they?

More than the traditional concepts of witnessing: going door-to-door, passing out tracts, presentational services and events, the Fields of God are where He has planted us! Our interests, our vocations and avocations, our callings and skills, our craftsmanship and creativity, our planting and harvesting, our hobbies and games, our arts and endeavors, our passions and our compassion—even our battles and competitions can be the Fields of God.

  • Many have been successfully stolen by the enemy—let’s take them back.
  • Others have been corrupted by sin—let’s reform them by the Book.
  • Some fields have grown fallow and unused—let’s plow them up and plant them again.
  • Dusty and dry, some of our own fields need a fresh rain—let’s ask the Lord to send rain.
  • Here and there one of our fields may suffer from neglect—let’s pay attention and do the work!

Then, like the word, “field,” we can be extremely useful to God.

Scriptures:
Psalm 83
O God, do not be silent; do not keep still nor hold your peace, O God; For your enemies are in tumult, and those who hate you have lifted up their heads. They take secret counsel against your people and plot against those whom you protect. They have said, “Come, let us wipe them out from among the nations; let the name of Israel be remembered no more.” They have conspired together; they have made an alliance against you:… Who said, “Let us take for ourselves the fields of God as our possession. O my God, make them like whirling dust and like chaff before the wind; Like fire that burns down a forest, like the flame that sets mountains ablaze. Drive them with your tempest and terrify them with your storm; Cover their faces with shame, O Lord, that they may seek your Name. Let them be disgraced and terrified forever; let them be put to confusion and perish. Let them know that you, whose Name is Yahweh, you alone are the Most High over all the earth.
John 4:34-38 NIV
“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Do you not say, ‘Four months more and then the harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”
Malachi 3:10-12 NIV
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,” says the LORD Almighty. “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the LORD Almighty.
2 Corinthians 10:13 NIV
We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the field God has assigned to us, a field that reaches even to you.
1 Corinthians 3:5-9 NIV
What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe — as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.
Hosea 10:12 NIV
Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers righteousness on you.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I am headed out into the fields today! You have called me to work in these specific fields. I will sow good seed in them. I will water and care for the young plants. I will tend the vines in Your Vineyard You have given me to tend. I will gently harvest the fruit of these fields. Every day is an adventure in Your fields of labor! I will be joyful in the tilling, patient in the toiling, and fluent in the telling. I will not become weary in all this well-doing for I know I shall reap bountifully if I sow bountifully and do not give up! O Lord of the Harvest, thank You for calling me into the fields! Amen and amen.

Song:
The Call for Reapers
Words and Music: James Oren Thompson

1. Far and near the fields are teeming
With waves of ripened grain;
Far and near their gold is gleaming
O’er the sunny slope and plain

Refrain:
Lord of harvest, send fir reapers!
Hear us, Lord, to Thee we cry.
Send them now the sheaves to gather.
Ere the harvest-time pass by.

2. Send them forth with morn’s first beaming;
Send them in the noontide’s glare;
When the sun’s last rays are gleaming,
Bid them gather everywhere.

Refrain

3. O thou whom the Lord is sending,
Gather now the sheaves if gold;
Heavenward then at evening wending.
Thou shalt come with joy untold.

Refrain

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, July

July 17, 2017 “Evermore”

Evermore

We who are locked into time, long for something called “evermore.”
Industries manufacture and sell the false hope for “evermore” to the hearts of the time-bound with romance novels and romantic films. Beyond these particular genres of literature and cinema there is something called the “Hollywood Myth” that promises us a moment when eyes and hearts meet across a crowded room and “evermore” begins for two blessed people. Of course, this dream is older than Hollywood:

  • Shakespeare gave us his “star-crossed” lovers in Romeo and Juliet.
  • Even the Bible has its romantic moments: Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Rachel, Ruth and Boaz.
  • This longing for “evermore” romance is rooted in the human heart.

We must remember that God said it was not good for one to be alone. When relationships are forged in the fires of the Spirit of God, this “evermore” element is part of their tempered steel. When we must say “goodbye,” it is only for a time. I cannot imagine a heaven populated by strangers.

“Evermore” promises some sort of extension, a way to be remembered when we are gone:

  • the children raised in our hearts and in our homes,
  • the lives we have touched as we followed Jesus,
  • the novices we have mentored in our life skills,
  • the students we have taught, and or for the artists and craftsmen,
  • the body of work we leave behind.

Shakespeare got it wrong:

The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones.
William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar Act 3, scene ii

The Lord we serve makes sure it is the good we have done in His name that lives on after us, indeed, that lives forever. These deeds of mercy are seldom broadcast on the news or written about in the press, but these are the things that really count, the “evermore” things. They may require no special talent or skill; availability is the only ability needed.

Just as the Sacrifice of Praise is a sweet-smelling savor to the Lord Jesus, so are the little things, the real and human things, the momentary kindnesses and thoughtful considerations we share with the people He puts in our path. These things too, please His heart. He records them so that in eternity when we are no longer locked into time, we will enjoy the “evermore.”

Scriptures:
Psalm 92
It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to your Name, O Most High; To tell of your loving-kindness early in the morning and of your faithfulness in the night season; On the psaltery, and on the lyre, and to the melody of the harp. For you have made me glad by your acts, O Lord; and I shout for joy because of the works of your hands. Lord, how great are your works! your thoughts are very deep. The dullard does not know, nor does the fool understand, that though the wicked grow like weeds, and all the workers of iniquity flourish, They flourish only to be destroyed for ever; but you, O Lord, are exalted for evermore. …
Matthew 10:40-42 NIV
“He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me. Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.”
1 Corinthians 3:10-15 NIV
By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.
Luke 6:32-36 NIV
“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ lend to ‘sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Acts 10:30-31 NIV
Cornelius answered: “Four days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor.
Revelation 14:13 NIV
Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”
James 3:13 NIV
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, help me today to live fully in the moment and, at the same time, keep an eye on my legacy. The work I do for You today has impact now, but it extends beyond this moment to the eternity awaiting me. Help me leave footprints that are easy to follow. Help me share truths today that will still be true tomorrow. Lord Jesus, when I think of “evermore,” my mind flows toward those in whose legacy I walk. I long to see them and sing with them again. Help me be faithful to those who mentored me while I am faithful to those I am mentoring today. “Evermore” is my portion today. Thank You, Lord. Amen.

Song:
Face to Face
Words: Carrie Ellis Breck; Music: Grant C. Tullar

1. Face to face with Christ, my Savior,
Face to face—what will it be,
When with rapture I behold Him,
Jesus Christ who died for me?

Refrain:
Face to face I shall behold Him,
Far beyond the starry sky;
Face to face in all His glory,
I shall see Him by and by!

2. Only faintly now, I see Him,
With the darkling veil between,
But a blessed day is coming,
When His glory shall be seen.

Refrain

3. When rejoicing in His presence,
When are banished grief and pain;
When the crooked ways are straightened,
And the dark things shall be plain.

Refrain
4. Face to face! O blissful moment!
Face to face—to see and know;
Face to face with my Redeemer,
Jesus Christ who loved me so.

Refrain
Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, July

July 13, 2017 “Vanities”

Vanities

In Children’s church we sang this:

Oh be careful little eyes what you see;
Be careful little eyes what you see.
There’s a Father up above and He’s looking down in love,
So be careful little eyes what you see.

We weren’t done. We went on to warn our little ears, hands, feet and mouths, convincing each of us of the extreme havoc we were capable of producing, little though we may have been.

Now, as adults, it is still good advice.

The Poet says it this way:

“Turn my eyes from looking at vanities; give me life in your ways.”

The Eyes Have It.
Of our five senses: smell, hearing, touch, taste, and sight, the eyes provide us with more information than any other ability. We even transfer the concept of sight to the recognition of invisible things—we “see” things in our minds. When we understand something we have heard we say, “Now, I see.”

  • We “see” math problems and their solution.
  • We “see” music on the page.
  • We “see” the ideal of freedom enough to treasure it and fight those who would take it away.
  • In worship, we “see” the Lord High and Lifted Up and we are changed even as we contemplate His glory.

The Power of Reflection
Everything that meets our eyes is a reflection of light. This is the process of vision: rays of light bounce off an object and speed to our eyes which pass the report on to the brain which interprets it at speeds faster than light. Like a camera, the brain records what we have seen for future reference.

Just as we can “see” in so many ways, there are many things to be seen. Many of them are wonderful things like those listed above plus the wonders of nature delivered in living color to our eyes every moment.

But many other things are what the Bible calls vanities.

How can we tell a vanity from a wonder of nature or a wonderful truth? It really isn’t difficult. The wonders of creation speak to us of the Creator. The high and wonderful things we “see” in our minds—faith, hope, love, peace, joy, truth—are reflections of the character and promises of God.

Just as objects reflect light, vanities are reflections of our own fallen humanity.
When we look deeply into vanities, deeper than the colors and shapes, the designs and delights, we see our own face, our own selfishness, ambitions, drives, and lusts. Even when the Blood of Jesus has cleansed us from these things, the contemplation of them—setting these vanities before our eyes—can reawaken them and lead us into temptation.

We must turn our eyes away from the world’s vanities to the truly beautiful things of the Kingdom of God. We must absorb the glory of the Glory reflecting all around us as well as the “invisible” things we see in the Word. As we do, His glory will do two essential things:

  • Cleanse our hearts like a holy flame to make us more like Him and
  • be reflected from us to others. When He shines in us, others can see Him!

This is important stuff—So, be careful little eyes what you see.

Scriptures:
Psalm 119
My soul clings to the dust; revive me according to your word.  When I told of my ways, you answered me; teach me your statutes.  Make me understand the way of your precepts, and I will meditate on your wondrous works.  My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to your word.  Put false ways far from me; and graciously teach me your law.  I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I set your ordinances before me. I cling to your decrees, O Lord; let me not be put to shame.  I run the way of your commandments, for you enlarge my understanding. Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes, and I will observe it to the end.  Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart.   Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it. Turn my heart to your decrees, and not to selfish gain.  Turn my eyes from looking at vanities; give me life in your ways.  Confirm to your servant your promise, which is for those who fear you.  Turn away the disgrace that I dread, for your ordinances are good.  …  I shall walk at liberty, for I have sought your precepts.  I will also speak of your decrees before kings, and shall not be put to shame; I find my delight in your commandments, because I love them.  I revere your commandments, which I love and I will meditate on your statutes.
Ecclesiastes 12:8-14 NKJV
“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “All is vanity.” And moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yes, he pondered and sought out and set in order many proverbs. … Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.
Philippians 4:8 NIV
Finally, brothers, whatever is true … noble … right … pure… is lovely… admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.
Hebrews 12:2-3 NIV
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Mark 9:47-49 NIV
And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell…
Psalm 101:2-3 NIV
I will walk in my house with blameless heart. I will set before my eyes no vile thing.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, there is so much that You do for me but this is my responsibility. I will set no evil thing before my eyes to contemplate—to do so is to invite trouble and sin into my life. Help me be so caught up in You that I take no note whatsoever of the vanities of this world around me. Help me to do as the Bible says, to concentrate on the good things, the proven things of this life and the one to come. Help me hear the message of King Solomon: Life is full of vanities but the whole of being a human is to worship God and keep Your commandments! Thank You, Lord!

Song:
Be Careful Little Eyes
Traditional Children’s Song

O be careful little eyes what you see
O be careful little eyes what you see
There’s a Father up above
And He’s looking down in love
So, be careful little eyes what you see

O be careful little ears what you hear
O be careful little ears what you hear
There’s a Father up above
And He’s looking down in love
So, be careful little ears what you hear

O be careful little hands what you do
O be careful little hands what you do
There’s a Father up above
And He’s looking down in love
So, be careful little hands what you do

O be careful little feet where you go
O be careful little feet where you go
There’s a Father up above
And He’s looking down in love
So, be careful little feet where you go

O be careful little mouth what you say
O be careful little mouth what you say
There’s a Father up above
And He’s looking down in love
So, be careful little mouth what you say.

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, July

July 12, 2017 “Procession”

Procession

The music was a majestic march, a processional.
One does not play a waltz for a procession! Solemn-faced marchers held tightly to the poles that carried the banners they carried down the aisles of the sanctuary. Each banner proclaimed a different name of God:

  • King of Kings
  • Lord of Lords
  • Emmanuel
  • Mighty God
  • Prince of Peace

Praise on the march—a moving revelation of the character of Almighty God. The attention of the people was focused and expanded all at once by the combination of musical and visual praise.

God was glorified in the procession. As the Music Minister who put it all together, I felt I had done my job.

Life is full of processions.
The root word is process—a systematic procedure—a step-by-step sequence of events, of actions, of thoughts, each leading seamlessly to the next until the destination is reached.

When we march in the procession—that is, when we engage the process—things tend to work out for us. Events happen in their course. They are well planned and well brought off. When we short-circuit the process—that is, when we get out of step or take a short-cut in the procession, unnecessary problems crop up that distract us and delay our arrival at the destination.

The poet proclaims his intention of joining the worship procession:

“I will wash my hands in innocence, O Lord, that I may go in procession round your altar, singing aloud a song of thanksgiving and recounting all your wonderful deeds.”

Life, like worship, requires preparation.
The choir and orchestra that played the processional had to rehearse for that moment. The banner bearers had to practice their posture and route through the church. They prepared for much longer than the time it took to perform.

And so it is with life—preparation for the procession qualifies us to march in peace.

How can we “wash our hands in innocence?” Not based on our own record, but in faith in the innocence of Christ. Sinless was He on the cross bearing our sins. Christ is both our process and our destination.

We should hear His music and get in step today—it isn’t a waltz—it is a march of victory.

Scriptures:
Psalm 26
Give judgment for me, O Lord, for I have lived with integrity; I have trusted in the Lord and have not faltered. Test me, O Lord, and try me; examine my heart and my mind. For your love is before my eyes; I have walked faithfully with you. I have not sat with the worthless, nor do I consort with the deceitful. I have hated the company of evildoers; I will not sit down with the wicked. I will wash my hands in innocence, O Lord, that I may go in procession round your altar, Singing aloud a song of thanksgiving and recounting all your wonderful deeds. Lord, I love the house in which you dwell and the place where your glory abides. Do not sweep me away with sinners, nor my life with those who thirst for blood, Whose hands are full of evil plots, and their right hand full of bribes. As for me, I will live with integrity; redeem me, O Lord, and have pity on me. My foot stands on level ground; in the full assembly I will bless the Lord.
Psalm 42:1-6 NIV
As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng. Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.
Psalm 68:24-26 NIV
Your procession has come into view, O God, the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary. In front are the singers, after them the musicians; with them are the maidens playing tambourines. Praise God in the great congregation; praise the Lord in the assembly of Israel.
Psalm 118:26-29 NIV
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord we bless you. The Lord is God, and he has made his light shine upon us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar. You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.
2 Corinthians 2:14 NIV
But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I want to march through this day in perfect step with You. Let Your great heartbeat be the cadence. May the music of heaven be the march: Introduction; First Strain; Second Strain, Trio; Break Strain; Trio, again—all in order from the first note to the stinger. I will wave the banner of my life high for all to see, for it bears Your name—Jesus Christ, King of Kings and Lord of Lords! Your name, Your story will be the content of my song, the beat of my drums, and the melodies and counter-melodies of this day’s procession! For Your Glory, Lord! Amen.

Song:
We’re Marching to Zion
Text: Isaac Watts; Music Robert Lowry

1. Come, we that love the Lord, and let our joys be known;
join in a song with sweet accord, join in a song with sweet accord
and thus surround the throne, and thus surround the throne.

Refrain:
We’re marching to Zion, beautiful, beautiful Zion;
we’re marching upward to Zion, the beautiful city of God

2. Let those refuse to sing who never knew our God;
but children of the heavenly King, but children of the heavenly King
may speak their joys abroad, may speak their joys abroad.

Refrain

3. The hill of Zion yields a thousand sacred sweets
before we reach the heavenly fields, before we reach the heavenly fields,
or walk the golden streets, or walk the golden streets.

Refrain

4. Then let our songs abound, and every tear be dry;
we’re marching through Emmanuel’s ground,
we’re marching through Emmanuel’s ground,
to fairer worlds on high, to fairer worlds on high.

Refrain

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, July

July 4, 2017 “Peoples”

Peoples

“Peoples” is word Bible uses for “nations.”
We Americans are a nation and we are a people. These terms carry similar bonds but also some different bonds unique to each one.

We are a nation because we live in the same geographical location and under the same set of laws. We are a people because we live with the same ideals, or at least with enough of the same ideals to give us

  • a shared character—the American Spirit,
  • a consolidated hope—the American Dream, and
  • an agreed upon ideal—American Freedom.

Guest Teaching at Continental Seminary in Brussels, Belgium, I visited the American Cemetery in Luxembourg, pictured here. This was my first missions trip to Europe and I was full of the missionary spirit. I am also a Baby-Boomer, the son of a WWII veteran, so I have always had an interest in the war. Inside the beautiful chapel I found an inscription that brought the missionary spirit and the American Character together for me. Beneath a cross it says:

GRANT US GRACE FEARLESSLY
TO CONTEND AGAINST EVIL
AND TO MAKE NO PEACE
WITH OPPRESSION

In that beautiful chapel the extraordinary truth of the American Spirit enveloped me—Who else goes across the seas to fight for the freedom of others? My father did, and my father-in-law, my pastor, and all my friends’ dads went. They are the greatest generation of a great nation and a great people. General Patton’s grave stands a lonely guard in front of the chapel facing row upon row of crosses and Stars of David.

On the grounds of a rural Catholic church in Belgium I also visited a memorial to Rev. J. W. Tucker among the names of missionaries from all branches of the church killed in the Belgian Congo in the early 1960’s. Heroes one and all, named and nameless, they sprang from a great nation and a great people to die in behalf of others on foreign soil.

Could they speak to us today, they would blush at our faint praise, and quickly remind us that the job isn’t finished.

  • There is still evil abroad in the world that someone must oppose.
  • There is oppression behind the high civilized walls of nations and violence walks randomly among the cities of the peoples of this earth.
  • We cannot make peace with wrong by calling it right.
  • There are nations and peoples bound in chains and in darkness. They sing empty songs, tell elaborate, meaningless stories, and trudge from day to night in hopelessness.

Our heroes would remind us that the nations and the peoples of need Jesus.
If there are seas to cross, let us set sail. If there are nations in bondage let us cry out as the prophet did, “Let these people go!” If there is darkness let us go there to shine our light.

Let this resolve be our pledge to our children and to their children and our prayer to God:

Grant us grace fearlessly to contend against evil
And to make no peace with oppression!
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scriptures:
Psalm 2
Why are the nations in an uproar? Why do the peoples mutter empty threats? Why do the kings of the earth rise up in revolt, and the princes plot together, against the Lord and against his Anointed? “Let us break their yoke,” they say; “let us cast off their bonds from us.” He whose throne is in heaven is laughing; the Lord has them in derision. Then he speaks to them in his wrath, and his rage fills them with terror. “I myself have set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.” Let me announce the decree of the Lord: he said to me, “You are my Son; this day have I begotten you. Ask of me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possession. You shall crush them with an iron rod and shatter them like a piece of pottery.” And now, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Submit to the Lord with fear, and with trembling bow before him; Lest he be angry and you perish; for his wrath is quickly kindled. Happy are they all who take refuge in him!
Isaiah 60:1-3; 62:10 NIV
“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. …Pass through, pass through the gates! Prepare the way for the people. Build up, build up the highway! Remove the stones. Raise a banner for the nations.
Psalm 117 NIV
Praise the Lord, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord.
Psalm 102:18-22 NIV
Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the Lord: “The Lord looked down from his sanctuary on high, from heaven he viewed the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death.” So the name of the Lord will be declared in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem when the peoples and the kingdoms assemble to worship the Lord.
Mark 11:17; 13:10-11 NIV
And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: “‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.'”
And the gospel must first be preached to all nations.
Luke 24:45-49 NIV
Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I will judge my life and work today, not by standards of success or wealth or influence but by the benefit of my being here on this earth. I do not serve you to the point of my comfort for you meet all my needs. I do not accumulate the acclaim of people for Your pleasure in me is my goal. Save me from a diffused life that accomplishing little. I temper my passions to focus them on Your plan for me, the steps You have laid out for me since before the foundation of the world. Help my solitary life to somehow bless the nations. Just as You multiplied the little boy’s lunch there in the wilderness, multiply my words and my songs and my deeds to bless the peoples of the earth. In Your holy name. Amen.

Song:
America the Beautiful
Words: Katherine Lee Bates; Music: Samuel A. Ward

1. O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain!
America! America! God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea!

2. O beautiful for pilgrim feet Whose stern impassioned stress
A thoroughfare of freedom beat Across the wilderness!
America! America! God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control, Thy liberty in law!

3. O beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife.
Who more than self their country loved And mercy more than life!
America! America! May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness And every gain divine!

4. O beautiful for patriot dream That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam Undimmed by human tears!
America! America! God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood  From sea to shining sea!

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, June

June 28, 2017 “Heard”

Heard

Americans have a constitutional right to free speech.
Implicit in this right is the hope to be heard. Why would one speak if there is no hope of being heard?

A High School Revelation
In my junior year of high school, I was not a good student. I only studied what interested me—band and English. The rest of my classes were a waist of my 16 year-old time. So, I had to see the counselor. She was a nice lady and I enjoyed talking to her; I could really string her along and she probably knew what I was doing all the time.

The summer before I turned 16 I started seriously seeking God’s will for my life. I felt it had something to do with music and writing (band and English!) but I was sure the rest of it—chemistry, Algebra II, American History—had nothing to do with it. When I was blowing smoke about how I didn’t enjoy those classes, etc., the nice lady interrupted me and asked, “Well, Steve, what do you want to do with your life?”

In one of those moments one lives in for the rest of one’s life, I knew with exceptional clarity why I was on the earth. At the same moment I thought it and said it:

“I want to tell somebody something!”

We both sat back and there was a moment of silence. I remember nothing else about that conference but I have never forgotten that revelation.

A Course of Action
Now I had a course of action. It was simple. If I was going to tell somebody something:

  1. I was going to have to find something out!
  2. I was going to have to learn how to speak and to write.

That was my plan: learn important things that people needed to know and develop the skills to tell them what I had learned.

Though absolutely unspoken in this crucial scene, there was an expectation that I would be heard. If not what was the point?

All of Us
This isn’t just for me. All of us are called to tell somebody something—and we should expect to be heard! I see three “somebodies” for each of us:

  1. We need to speak to ourselves. Internal dialogue is a fact of life for each of us. We tell ourselves things all the time. We must be so careful to speak to ourselves with the voice of faith and not of fear, of righteous things and not rotten things. Why? Because we are heard—down deep where only our voice and the voice of the Spirit are heard.
  2. We need to speak to others. “We’ve a story to tell to the nations,” we sometimes sing and it is true. It may seem that we are not heard, but of this we can be certain—the Holy Spirit is anointing the ears of those we speak to as well as the lips with which we speak.
  3. We need to speak to God in praise, prayer and worship. The Lord loves the sound of our voice! Another song says, “He’s as close as the mention of His name.” He is our most devoted listener!

Think of the wonder of it:

  • The silent cry of the believer’s breaking heart echoes through heaven.
  • The tears we shed capture His attention.
  • Our prayers are collected for His keeping.

When we pray, we are telling someone something—The Lord Himself!–and we can be sure that we are heard!

Scriptures:
Psalm 6
Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger; do not punish me in your wrath. Have pity on me, Lord, for I am weak; heal me, Lord, for my bones are racked. My spirit shakes with terror; how long, O Lord, how long? Turn, O Lord, and deliver me; save me for your mercy’s sake. For in death no one remembers you; and who will give you thanks in the grave? I grow weary because of my groaning; every night I drench my bed and flood my couch with tears. My eyes are wasted with grief and worn away because of all my enemies. Depart from me, all evildoers, for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping. The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord accepts my prayer. All my enemies shall be confounded and quake with fear; they shall turn back and suddenly be put to shame.
Psalm 10:16-18 NIV
The Lord is King for ever and ever; the nations will perish from his land. You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more.
Psalm 102:18-22 NIV
Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the Lord; “The Lord looked down from his sanctuary on high, from heaven he viewed the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death.” So the name of the Lord will be declared in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem when the peoples and the kingdoms assemble to worship the Lord .
Isaiah 6:8-9 NIV
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” He said, “Go and tell this people:
Acts 5:17-21
Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people the full message of this new life.” At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You are such a communicator Your friend John called You the Word! Through the power of the Holy Spirit You are heard throughout the world and it has been so since You walked this earth. When I speak Your Word, I will be heard! Like You said in your parable of the seeds and the soil that not everyone will hear but there will be some who will welcome my message to the changing of their lives. If I speak, I will be heard! May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Your sight! Amen.

Song:
We’ve a Story to Tell to the Nations
Words and Music: H. Ernest Nichol

1. We’ve a story to tell to the nations
that shall turn their hearts to the right,
A story of truth and mercy,
A story of peace and light, a story of peace of light.

Refrain:
For the darkness shall turn to dawning,
And the dawning to noonday bright,
And Christ’s great Kingdom shall come to earth,
The Kingdom of love and light.

2. We’ve a song to be sung to the nations
That shall lift their hearts to the Lord,
A song that shall conquer evil
And shatter the spear and sword,
And shatter the spear and sword.

Refrain

3. We’ve a message to give the nations
That the Lord who reigneth above
Hath sent us His Son to save us,
And show us that God is love,
And show us that God is love.

Refrain

4. We’ve a Savior to show to the nations
Who the path of sorrow hath trod,
That all of the world’s great peoples
Might come to the truth of God,
And show us that God is love.

Refrain

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved